The Old Testament prophet Isaiah wrote, “Woe to you who call evil good, and good evil.” We’re seeing this played out in Democrat-run cities across America. The left has always championed sanctuary policies and criminal leniency, but recent events show just how far they’re willing to go in sacrificing public safety for ideological purity.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed that Governor J.B. Pritzker’s sanctuary policies have led to the release of over 1,700 criminal illegal aliens since January 2025. These weren’t just people who ran red lights — these were people whose crimes included 5 homicides, 141 assaults, 23 burglaries, 4 robberies, 24 dangerous drugs offenses, 15 weapons offenses, and 10 sexual predatory offenses. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) begged Illinois to honor detainers for more than 4,000 additional criminal aliens in custody, but the state is ignoring federal requests. By refusing to cooperate with ICE, Illinois has effectively chosen to protect predators over its own citizens.

We’ve heard Democrats claim that “most illegals have no criminal past.” Other than being in the country illegally, that is. But Pritzker’s record shows the results of shielding those who committed crimes from deportation, as well as justice, and the consequences are tragically clear. In Chicago, a doctor was brutally beaten in a hospital elevator by a man who had been arrested 12 times in 2025 alone. Mayor Brandon Johnson has argued that imprisoning violent criminals is “racist” and “immoral.” This warped ideology leaves law-abiding citizens defenseless while emboldening repeat offenders.

It gets worse. Islamo-fascist/communist Democrat socialist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani appointed Mysonne Linen, a convicted armed robber, to his criminal justice transition team. Linen served seven years in prison for violent robberies of taxi drivers, yet the left now celebrates him as a “community activist” qualified to shape public safety policy. Perhaps he can advise the taxi companies and Uber drivers on safety issues. Corrections officers and police unions have condemned the appointment as dangerous and insulting, but Mamdani’s decision reflects the left’s worldview: criminals are victims, and the innocent are obstacles to their narrative.

This is the glorification of criminality. Democrats are signaling that crime is not something to be punished, but something to be rewarded with political influence.

The Biden “administration” also played a part in undermining public safety. A Venezuelan gang member, suspected of belonging to the Tren de Aragua cartel, was released into the U.S. and even granted Temporary Protected Status. Later, he attacked an ICE officer in Illinois, ramming a vehicle into a tree, and inciting violent protests against law enforcement. Assaults on ICE officers have skyrocketed over 1,000% in the past year, ignited by Democrat rhetoric that encourages resistance to immigration enforcement. Mamdani has gone so far as to publicly advise illegals how to evade ICE. This escapade did not go unnoticed by Kristi Noem, who stated, “If he were mayor, [he] could be violating the Constitution by giving advice on how to evade law enforcement and how to get away with breaking the law.”

Taken together, these stories reveal a disturbing pattern. The Democrat party consistently sides with criminals over citizens. Their ideology demands leniency, “compassion,” and sanctuary — even when it means sacrificing the safety of ordinary Americans.

This is straight-up dereliction of duty. The Democrats have, as Isaiah warned, inverted morality, treating criminals as heroes and law-abiding citizens as expendable, collateral damage. Far from  accidental, this is a deliberate choice rooted in radical ideology. Democrats are systematically dismantling law and order, undermining federal enforcement, and endangering the very people they claim to represent.

It’s long past time for our leaders to prioritize law-abiding Americans over criminals. It is to be hoped that enough people come to their senses in these jurisdictions to enable that to happen.

Image: Free image, Pixabay license.